


Plans Can Change

by youvebeenlivingfictional



Category: Triple Frontier (2019)
Genre: F/M, longer than i meant it to be whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26365729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youvebeenlivingfictional/pseuds/youvebeenlivingfictional
Summary: You weren’t a shrinking violet in high school by any means, but you weren’t popular, either. You were just...Middling. You kept your head down, stayed out of drama - there had been plenty of drama. It was a small town, sometimes people had nothing else to do but talk. And his name came up a lot.Ben Miller had been the most popular boy in your year.
Relationships: Ben Miller (Triple Frontier)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Plans Can Change

**Author's Note:**

> I got the town name from an old draft script of the movie; I don’t know if it’s ever explicitly mentioned in the movie? I could be wrong tho.
> 
> This one is kind of long and might have a part two; I haven’t decided yet
> 
> Not beta-read
> 
> Warning: Cursing; mention of sexual situations

You’d spent the last decade skirting around spending time in Boonville. You made an effort to have your parents and Nana come see you when they wanted to visit - paying their gas mileage, or for tickets to fly them up when they couldn’t make the drive.  
  
But your grandmother was sick, and helping her adjust to living with your parents was going to take time - both your mom and dad still worked as teachers full-time, and even though your dad was taking a little time off to get Nana settled in, they wouldn’t have time to pack up that big old house.  
  
It took some needling (“Please? We can’t ask your sister, she just had the baby and all—“) and some reworking of your life (subletting your apartment, letting your clients know that you’d be difficult to reach for those two days while you drove down). It could be worse - working as freelance writer allowed you to keep your own hours, made it easier to travel. You’d be able to work while worked to sort through and pack up the last 58 years of your grandmother’s life.  
  
You packed yourself, a suitcase, and Bo, your pitbull-boxer mix into your car and drove down.  
  
Boonville hadn’t changed much since you’d left for college - you hadn’t expected it to, that was most of the reason you’d left. You stopped in on your family, visited with your Nana and your parents and let Bo run around for a bit before heading over to her the house. It looked a little worse for wear - chipped paint, the shutter on the kitchen window hanging askew. You grabbed your suitcase out of the back before you got out.  
  
When you opened the door to let Bo out, he zipped out of the car before you could catch hold of his leash.  
  
“Bo!” You called after him, running after him as he darted down the drive. He didn’t get far, though, jumping excitedly at a passerby that stopped to give him the attention he’d been craving.  
  
“Hey, buddy,” The man crouched down, indulgent as Bo sniffed at his hands before the man scratched between his ears. You shook your head at the pup, resting your hands on your hips.  
  
“I’m sorry, he’s a sweetheart, he’s just...Excitable,” You excused.  
  
“Nah, s’alright. People usually say that about me,” The man joked, lifting his head to look at you.  
  
You knew him _immediately_.  
  
You weren’t a shrinking violet in high school by any means, but you weren’t popular, either. You were just...Middling. You kept your head down, stayed out of drama - there had been plenty of drama. It was a small town, sometimes people had nothing else to do but talk. And _his_ name came up a lot.  
  
Ben Miller had been the most popular boy in your year. He was a star athlete - captain of the wrestling team, co-captain of the soccer team, one of the best butterfly stroke swimmers on the swim team. He’d been cute, too. And he wasn’t a dick or anything, he was just... A guy.  
  
You’d had a few classes with him, had been paired with a project with him once. You’d expected him to be an asshole, had assumed you’d be doing all the work, but he’d surprised you. He’d been a bit of a joker, but when needed to, he’d buckled down and done the work. After that, you’d spoken at a couple of parties, and in the cafeteria a couple of times, but that had been it.  
  
And now he was petting your dog, and you were pretty sure he had absolutely no idea who you were.  
  
“Thanks for catching hold of him,” You said, taking Bo’s leash.  
  
“Sure,” Ben straightened up, and before he could say anything else, you turned, leading the dog up the driveway. You picked your suitcase up where you’d dropped it and headed inside, lightly tugging Bo along when he tried to turn. You didn’t turn to check and see if Ben was still standing in the driveway. Even if he was, there was no way you were going to walk back say, “ _By the way, this is my name, since you’ve clearly forgotten who I am_.”  
  
\--  
  
Nana’s house was a _mess_. Not in the sense of things being left all over the place or dishes left out, but the woman still had magazines from 2014. You certainly had your work cut out for you.  
  
You made a plan to get a jump on sorting things out in the morning. You settled yourself in the room you always stayed in when you were a kid - it felt weird to stay in Nana’s, even if she’d told you it was alright - and checked your emails, responded to a couple of clients. Once you’d sorted work out, you opened your Facebook. There were a few notifications, as well as a friend request. You frowned, clicking on it.  
  
_**Ben Miller** sent you a friend request.  
  
_Your brows rose in surprise. Maybe you’d underestimated hi _s_ memory _._ You clicked on his profile, but weren’t able to a ton of detail; most of his was set to ‘private’. You clicked on his profile picture, looking over his face - the wide, toothy grin, pointed nose, bright blue eyes. It was definitely taken recently.  
  
You wouldn’t be in town long. Once you started working on Nana’s house, it would, hypothetically, only take a week--maybe two.  
  
You hesitated before you hit the ‘Confirm’ button.  
  
It was just a Facebook request, what could it hurt?  
  
\--  
  
“I thought you looked familiar.”  
  
You turned your head away from your beer, toward the person speaking into your ear; in any other circumstance, you’d begrudge them the close contact, but it the bar was packed, and loud. You had enjoyed your anonymity in the crowd while it had lasted, but Ben Miller had managed to find you in the throng waiting for a drink at Mulligan’s. The crowd around the bar had to be at least three rows deep, but from what you’d seen (both in person, and now, on Facebook) Ben Miller was acutely aware of how much space he could take up when he wanted to.  
  
”Uh--Yeah, dude, you saw me in my driveway like two days ago,” You said, raising a brow at him, and smiling when he laughed. He leaned back in, pressing his chest against the line of your back to keep out of others’ way as he spoke to you - it was a little hard to focus on what he was saying, if you were being honest,  
  
“I meant when we were in the driveway,” He said. He leaned back, peering around you at the nearly-empty beer glass in your hand before leaning back in:  
  
"What are we drinking?”  
  
\--  
  
”Yeah, my mom mentioned that your Nana was moving in with your parents. I didn’t think it was happening so soon, though,” Benny said.  
  
You’d traded Mulligan’s crowded interior for its quieter outdoor patio; the fall weather made the night a bit chilly, and people less eager to come out. The two of you had your pick of the picnic tables, but Benny had still settled in right beside you, thigh pressed against yours, his bare forearm brushing against your jacketed one as you intermittently reached for your beers.  
  
The Millers lived five houses down from your Nana, that was why Benny had been in the area the day Bo had made a run for a new friend.  
  
“Yeah, well. Mom and dad can only take so long off of work and my schedule’s a little looser than theirs, so,” You trailed off, glancing down at the amber liquid in your glass and swirling it around. You glanced over at Benny, trying not to shrink back self-consciously when you found him looking at you.  
  
“What brought you back to Boonville after the service?” You asked. It was Benny’s turn to look surprised.  
  
"You’re not the only one that remembers shit from high school, Miller,” You tacked on, raising the glass to your lips. He chuckled.  
  
“Touché,” He said, lightly clinking his glass against yours before taking a sip. He lowered it back to the table before he answered,  
  
“Same thing that brought you back: family. They emphasized the importance of having a support system when we got home, me an’ Will’s was here. Unlike you, though, I stayed.” He gave you a teasing wink. You rested your head on your hand.  
  
“That the plan?” You asked, legitimately curious, “To stay?”  
  
Benny thought about this for a minute, “My family’s here, friends are here...my coach is here. I like it here. Some people _like_ Boonville,” he added, teasing you again, knocking his knee against yours. You rolled your eyes.  
  
“I never said I wasn’t one of those people,” You pointed out.  
  
“Implied it when you ditched for a decade,” Benny argued.  
  
You were quiet for a moment, watching him closely.  
  
“Apart from mom and dad and Nana, who I kept in touch with, I didn’t really think I’d be missed,” you admitted. Benny loosed a thoughtful hum, looking into his beer. Suddenly you wanted that bright, easy smile back on his face, but it had been replaced by this dour moue of his mouth and this furrowed brow.  
  
“Maybe you were wrong,” He said.  
  
“You barely knew me back then,” You pointed out.  
  
“Didn’t get the chance to,” Benny countered, meeting your eye again.  
  
“...So friending me on Facebook and buying me a beer, this-- This is what, exactly?” You asked. That smile was back in a flash, a sparkle in his eye as his thigh pressed against yours.  
  
“Making up for lost time?”  
  
\--  
  
It was nearly four in the afternoon when you were drawn out of your sorting by the sound of Bo barking at the door.  
  
It couldn’t be either one of your parents, they were both still at work; your Nana was being looked after by a home healthcare aid, and she would’ve warned you if she was coming over. You straightened from the box you were hunched over and stepped into the hall, following Bo’s excited yapping. You peered through the peephole and immediately squashed the smiled that threatened to take over your face and the ripple of excitement that went through you.  
  
You stepped back, reaching down and gently pulling Bo back by the collar as you opened the front door. Benny was standing at the front door, one hand tucked into a pocket, the other holding a bag.  
  
“Screen door’s unlocked,” You said, nodding to the additional barrier separating you. Benny pulled it open, stepping inside and setting the bag on the table beside the door before he crouched down to greet Bo. You let go of his collar, smiling as Bo bounded the short distance to Benny. Benny took it in stride, cooing over Bo. As Bo calmed down, Benny peered up at you, smiling.  
  
“Hi,” He greeted.  
  
“Hi there,” You said, watching as Benny straightened up, “What brings you over?”  
  
“Thought I’d come and see how you’re doing,” He shrugged.  
  
“And the bag?” You nodded to the table.  
  
“Mama raised me right. I never go to someone’s house empty handed,” He said, passing the bag over to you. You opened it, peered inside, and chuckled at the 6-pack inside.  
  
“Someone paid attention last night,” You commented, leading the way to the kitchen. Benny followed, but he took his time; you couldn’t even imagine the last time he’d been in the house, and how different it must’ve looked.  
  
“You’re makin’ headway here, huh,” He said, leaning against the counter beside me as you unloaded the six pack.  
  
"Trying to,” You said, “Nana’s still gotta approve everything before I make a move on throwing it out or giving it away.”  
  
“So...Maybe this’ll be a two and a half week project,” Benny said nonchalantly. You huffed a laugh.  
  
“Actually, mom’s apparently only just started to worry that the place may not be ‘up to snuff’ and that may ‘hurt the resell value’. I’m gonna have to stick around to help with renovations, so, this’ll probably be more like a month-long project. Probably two if there are electrical or plumbing issues, which there probably will be,” You passed Benny an opened beer before opening one for yourself.  
  
“Really?”  
  
Was it your imagination or did he sound happy about that? You nodded.  
  
“That is, if you can handle having me around for that long,” You added, glancing up at him before taking a sip of your beer. Benny gave you a slow, relaxed smile as he leaned back against the kitchen island. You were careful to keep your eyes on his face, and not on the play of his muscles under his light grey t-shirt.  
  
“I think I could adjust,” He said. He looked around at the kitchen’s disarray before adding, “Want some help?”

\--  
  
“So you’re not dating some big hot-shot doctor or lawyer or something?”  
  
Benny had given up on subtlety maybe two hours ago, somewhere around the second beer and after you’d ordered pizza. You’d taken up residence on the living room floor (the dining room table was covered in Nana’s china and fine glassware); the pizza box and the beer bottles were safely on the coffee table that you and Benny’s legs were stretched under.  
  
Your lips twitched into an amused smile as you leaned back against the couch.  
  
“That what you imagine my life in the city must be like?” You asked.  
  
Benny shrugged a shoulder, “Maybe.”  
  
“...He’s a lawyer, but he’s not a _hot-shot_.” Benny’s head whipped around to look at you, and the surprise on his face melted at the teasing smile on your lips.   
  
“A doctor, then?” He pressed.  
  
“I’m not seeing anyone,” You admitted, rolling your eyes and turning away, picking up your beer.  
  
“Why not?” Benny plied. You could feel him shifting beside you, turning his upper body to give you his full attention. You didn’t match it, though, instead picking at the label on the beer bottle.  
  
“’m just not,” You answered. It hung in the air for a few moments before you cleared your throat.  
  
“What about you? There someone you should be getting home to?”  
  
You almost didn’t want to know the answer.  
  
“Nope.”  
  
_Almost._  
  
“Really?” You asked, looking up at Benny. He rested his elbow against the cushion, a pleased smile overtaking those lips.  
  
“You’re that surprised?” He asked.  
  
You were, but you didn’t wanna come right out and say it like that. You shrugged, “I dunno. You’re...Nice, and...Reasonably attractive, and...You pay attention to what kind of beer someone drinks,” You listed lamely. Benny chuckled beside you.  
  
“I’m starting to sound like a real catch.”  
  
”Shut up, you know what I mean,” You groaned, closing your eyes and letting your head fall back against the couch cushion. Benny laughed again; you vaguely registered the ‘thunk’ of his beer bottle being set down on the coffee table before you felt him press closer, a hand settling on your thigh.  
  
“You think I’m reasonably attractive?” He asked softly, lips brushing against your jaw. You opened your eyes, blinking up at him; he was so close, and looking at you with such intent and warmth.  
  
“...I actually think you’re _unreasonably_ attractive, but I was a little worried that if I told you that right off the bat, your ego would be too big to fit through the door and you’d be trapped here forever,” You admitted.  
  
You couldn’t see Benny’s smile, but you knew he was smiling; the corners of his eyes crinkled with the lift of it as he held your gaze, lips brushing across your cheek before they pressed warmly to yours. You set your beer aside, cupping the back of Benny’s neck and letting your eyes drift shut as you reveled in the feeling of his warmth and closeness.  
  
\--  
  
“It’s frickin’ cramped,” Benny’s voice was gruff and thick with sleep.  
  
“I told you it would be,” You retorted, “Is your arm asleep?”  
  
Rather than answer you, Benny curled his arm, drawing you in for a kiss. You smiled, resting your hand on his chest.  
  
Things had gone farther than you’d been expecting the night before, and had led to you and Benny being curled up together in your temporary twin-sized bed.  
  
“You should’ve swapped rooms,” Benny mumbled, fingers carding through your hair as you settled down.  
  
“I would not have done what we did last night in my Nana’s bed, Miller,” You sighed. You turned your head at the sound of Bo whimpering and pawing at the door, and you groaned softly.  
  
“I better walk him before we have to replace the carpet,” You said, disentangling yourself from Benny. Benny grunted, making no effort to stop you. You dressed quickly, grabbing some clothes from your flung-open suitcase in the corner. When you sat on the edge of the bed to get dressed, Benny propped himself up on his elbows, pushing your sweater up and dropping a kiss to your lower back.  
  
“ _Benny_ ,” You mumbled, squirming as you leaned over to pull your shoes on. Rather than answer, he pressed another kiss a few inches over, then another, then another. You got up, turning and leaning down, pecking his lips.  
  
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” You promised. Benny nodded, flopping back onto the bed and covering his eyes with his arm.  
  
The walk with Bo took a little longer than you usually would’ve let it. You had a lot of things on your mind: What had last night meant? Had it even meant _anything_? There was a chance it had just been a spur-of-the-moment thing: you were both there, both single, and maybe a bit lonely. And the sex with Benny had been incredible. You wouldn’t be in town for very long, you couldn’t get attached to anyone. And you couldn’t help but wonder - would Benny even _be_ there when you got back?  
  
You could only walk Bo for so long - you _did_ have other things that you had to do that day: work, things to sort, and boxes to pack. Once you were home, Bo went straight for the kitchen. You understood why when you got there - Benny had already located the dog food and filled his dish. He’d also found the coffee and made a pot - and was working through a cup himself.  
  
“Want some?” He asked easily, holding up his mug. You nodded, stepping around the island when he’d turned away to pour you one. You plastered yourself to his back, wrapping your arms around his middle and pressing your face into his neck, taking a deep breath.  
  
You hadn’t expected him to stay.  
  
You hated how happy you were that he had.  
  
\--  
  
Benny started staying over most nights. He’d grouse about the twin bed, and you’d remind him that the only other option in the house was Nana’s bed, and he’d let it go.  
  
Your third week back in Boonville, after you two had spent most of the night on the couch lazily making out (but before the clothes could come off) Benny told you that he had a fight coming up, and that he wouldn’t be able to stay over that night.  
  
“It’s tomorrow,” He’d said, looking at where his fingers were tracing lazy circles on your thigh, “I was wondering if you wanted to come.”  
  
You hadn’t seen him unsure like this since the night at the bar, when you’d told him that you hadn’t thought anyone would miss you. You carded your fingers through his hair, trying to clear the invisible cloud hanging over his head.  
  
“I’d love to come,” You said.  
  
Benny’s head lifted, cloud cleared, grinning - the kiss that followed was nearly more tooth than lip, he was smiling so wide. You laughed into it, looping your arm around his neck and keeping him close.  
  
If you were honest, you were a little nervous about going to one of Benny’s fights. You heard him talk about fighting all the time, you knew that he was passionate about it. But you were also more than a little worried about seeing that guy that you’d grown to care about potentially get his face beaten in.  
  
Maybe this was for the best, though. The packing and renovations had been going smoothly; everything was set to be done by the end of the next week. You and Bo would be going home, where Benny wasn’t. Maybe this would help.  
  
\--  
  
It didn’t help.  
  
Something in you had _jumped_ out at the fight; you’d found yourself yelling encouragement at Benny with the same enthusiasm Benny’s brother, Will, had been. Benny had won the fight, too, come out with minor damage (well, what _they_ told you was minor - a cut on his left cheek, a bruised right eye, and a few bruises on his torso and legs).  
  
Seeing Benny fight had made you feel worried, and _proud_. You didn’t sleep that night, just stared up at the ceiling and carded your hand through Benny’s hair as he slept soundly with his head nestled on your shoulder. When he woke up, and gave you that sleepy smile and that patented, “Morning, sweetheart,” That had become the start to your day, it was all you could do to not tear up.  
  
\--  
  
"Is something wrong?” He asked.  
  
“Hm?” You answered, not looking away from the box of books you were packing to put out for the yard sale.  
  
"You’ve been quiet since the fight, is all,” Benny said, leaning against the wall beside you. It had been days - you hadn’t known how to start this conversation, and in true fighter form, Benny had beaten you to the punch.  
  
You glanced at him before looking back down at the box, rearranging a paperback to fit another couple of books in there.  
  
“Just-- I’ll be leaving in a couple of days,” You said. Benny didn’t answer, so you went on,  
  
“I mean, we’re almost done here, down to the last, what, ten boxes, and...And the staging company’s coming tomorrow to start setting stuff up to take photos so they can list the house, so--”  
  
”So you’re leaving. I get it,” Benny’s voice had hardened to something you didn’t recognize. You looked up at him to find his eyes set on the opposite wall.  
  
“...Right,” You said, looking back down at the books. You plucked a few more off of the shelves, setting them down on the table beside you and dusting the top of one off.  
  
"Were you planning on us talking before you left?” Benny asked. A question formed on the tip of your tongue - an awful, maybe rude question, but at this moment, the only one that really mattered:  
  
“What is there to talk about?”  
  
“Whether or not we’re going to keep doing this,” Benny answered, stepping into your field of vision and gently taking the book out of your hands.  
  
“What _exactly_ is this, Benny?” You asked, looking up at him, “What _is_ this? I’ve been trying to figure that out from the start, but I cannot get a grip on it! I’ve tried. We both went into this with our eyes wide open. We knew I’d be leaving, I never lied to you about that. That was always the plan.”  
  
“Plans can change,” Benny said. You gaped at him for a moment, eyes narrowing.  
  
“And you thought mine had?” You asked, “What made you think that?”  
  
Benny’s jaw clenched, and he looked down at the spine of the book in his hands. You scoffed, muttering, “Unbelievable.”  
  
“I want you to stay,” Benny mumbled, “Maybe that’s wrong, maybe that’s not what you want, and I know that. But I want you to stay.” You watched his face for a few moments before you reached out, plucking the book from grasp and tucking it into the box where it belonged.  
  
“...You’re not gonna say anything?” He asked.  
  
“I don’t know what _to_ say,” You answered.  
  
“What you’re feeling. Don’t skirt around it, just _tell me what you’re fucking feeling for once_ ,” He snapped. You looked up at him, stunned. Benny groaned, frustrated, and grabbed his jacket from where it had been thrown over the couch. He didn’t say without another word; you heard the front door slam shut behind him.


End file.
